2016年1月23日土曜日

At the end of November and beginning of December, there are Thanks giving festival held at shrines in Japan. It is called "Kinen-sai (祈念祭)", which means "Festival which prays for harvest", and "Niiname-sai (新嘗祭)", which means "Festival to thank god for the harvest".

In the beginning of December last year, I went to shrine named Takemizuwake-shrine in Chikuma city, Nagano prefecture.

This shrine was built 1150 years ago.
As the fire occur in year 1860, the most building left now is built about 150 years ago.

Thanks giving festival was started more than 400 years ago in this shrine.
5 leaders proceeds the festival every year.

In this shrine, old note books called "Go tou chou (御頭帳)" had taken over since year 1592, and whole leader's names are written in them.

The men wearing white clothes are the leaders.
Their names are also written in the notes.

At the beginning of the festival, the leaders starts walking from quite far place from the shrine.
People are waiting the leaders go through, with burning fire along the street.

Something like a pushing cart came as a top of the line.
On the wood, the word "Ouma-jisrushi (御馬印)" written.
I have searched in the Internet, and knew that the famous General in Japan, Hideyoshi Toyotomi (豊臣秀吉) had also used when he shows his power at the war field.

After the cart, the people with flags came.

After the people with flags, the leaders came.

Going through the gate, called "Tori-i (鳥居)" in Japan, they went inside of the shrine.

This gate was quite large, felt like as same height as forth or fifth floor building.

Walking through the snack shops, the parade goes on.

Going through the small Tori-i gate, they goes to the main building of the shrine.

Please see the man who walks in front of the leaders.
He holds a box which filled with white things.

The leaders reaches to the main shrine, and passes the box to the priests and prays god.

After the pray of leaders had ended people gets in line, and given the white things which were in the box.

I also got one.

Opened at home and new there were rice and a coin was in the paper wrapping.

To get the harvest, I ate the rice and used the coin.
I have to go the shrine next year, too!

Even after the parade had gone, the festival went on.
People seemed happy.

It's getting so cold and snow storms are coming to Japan in this few days.
I will go outside this weekend and take picture of the city.

2016年1月15日金曜日

In January 9th and 10th, a festival called "Ame-ichi" held at Matsumoto every year.

As these days are at end of New Year's holiday, people seems happy and relaxed every year.

To wish this year's health and luck, I visited Yohashira shrine.

Lucky I was, the show was just starting when I reached there.

I could see Lion dance there.

This lion dance is called Shishi-mai (獅子舞), and it is believed that these lions breaks evil spirits.
There were two lions this day.

A man who plays Japanese flute had explained about the dance before show.
There were two lions at this day, and he told us that they are a couple.
One lion is male and the other is female.

If the nose is black, the lion is male.

If the nose is red, the lion is female.

With young man's Japanese flute, the dance and music had started.

Two men manages a lion. One in the head, and one in the body.
At first, the lions were dancing gently and slowly.

Slowly, stands up, and starts dancing.
The music of Japanese flutes and drums also become louder and faster.

It is said that this dance came from India and China.
Design might be quite different, but I agree that they came from Eurasian continent.
I can't tell exactly, but I feel something from them, mixture of the cultures.

Last summer, I've seen the lion dance done by the puppets.
Seeing real lion dance, I knew that their skills are both great.

Looking the picture above again, and I thought that puppets were so small and cute.

I would like to introduce usual days in Japan using pictures.

I love travel both inside and outside of Japan.
But now, as I'm an office worker, its difficult to go far places. In this situation, I do internet and see beautiful pictures everyone takes. If the pictures were place I had visited, they may reminds me the memories how the place was fun, the site was beautiful, the people was nice, and somethig like that. If the pictures where never visited, I dreams of going there, and sometimes become those motive for going the place. I will upload pictures and blogs those who have near thougts as me.
I'm glad if my pictures and blogs uploaded makes you happy.